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<p>Data from the independent Office for National Statistics (ONS) shows that in 2018
75,000 people in the West Midlands are employed on zero hours’ contracts – representing
just 2.7% of people employed in the West Midlands.</p><p> </p><p>In the UK in 2018
the ONS estimate that 844,000 people were employed on zero hours’ contracts – 2.6%
of all people employed.</p><p> </p><p>A record number of people (32.7 million) in
the UK are employed. Since 2010 nearly 80% of the growth in employment has been in
full-time work and over 75% has come from permanent employment’. Average wages have
grown faster than inflation for 15 consecutive months.</p>

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, with reference to her Department's
press release entitled Youth unemployment down 50% since 2010, published on gov.uk
on 16 October 2018, what proportion of recorded employment was under a zero-hours
contract.

<p>The Office for National Statistics (ONS) use the Labour Force Survey (LFS) to provide
estimates for the number of people employed on zero hours’ contracts.</p><p> </p><p>The
ONS figures for people in employment on zero hours’ contracts broken down by age,
do not go back to 2010 and are only currently available up to April-June 2018. Therefore
no directly comparable figures to the youth unemployment statistics cited are available.</p><p>
</p><p>The majority of young people are not employed on zero hours’ contracts. In
2018 (Apr-Jun) there were 261,000 16-24 year olds on a zero hours’ contracts – representing
only 6.9% of employed 16-24 year olds.</p><p> </p><p>This is down from 299,000 young
people (7.8% of employed young people) in 2017 (Apr-Jun), but a slight increase from
the first comparable data available, which shows in 2014 (Apr-Jun) there were 235,000
young people on a zero hours’ contract (or 6.3% of employed young people).</p><p>
</p><p>Many people in full-time education are employed on zero hours’ contracts, in
part because of the flexibility they provide. 18.5% of all people in 2018 (Apr-Jun)
on zero hours’ contracts were in full-time education – compared to 2.3% of people
not on a zero hours’ contract.</p><p> </p><p>The ONS data shows that the majority
of people on zero hours’ contracts are happy with the hours provided by their zero
hours’ contract.</p>

<p /> <p>18 and 19 year olds who are working fewer than 16 hours per week may be entitled
to out of work benefits. In areas where Universal Credit has been rolled out, 18 and
19 year olds who are on a low income or out of work may be entitled to claim Universal
Credit.</p>

To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities, with reference to the Youth Voice Census
Report 2019, published in June 2018, what assessment she has made of the effect of
gender on a young person's level of engagement with school and employment.

<p>No assessment has been made of gender on a young person’s level of engagement with
school and employment.</p><p> </p><p>However, the Government is committed to providing
targeted support for all young people so that everyone, no matter what their start
in life, is given the very best chance.</p><p> </p><p>The Government has raised the
participation age to ensure that all young people are supported to continue their
education until at least age 18, and invested nearly £7 billion during academic year
2018/19, to ensure there is a place in education or training for every 16 to 19-year
old.</p><p> </p><p>Local Authorities (LAs) have a statutory duty to identify and track
the participation of 16 and 17 year olds, supporting those who are not participating
to do so and making sure that there is sufficient, suitable education and training
provision to meet their needs. The September Guarantee places a further duty on LAs
to ensure that all year 11 pupils (and year 12 pupils on one year courses) receive
an offer of a place in education/training for the following September. It aims to
ensure that all young people, regardless of what they achieved in school, understand
that there are opportunities that will help them to progress, and to ensure that they
get the advice and support they need to find a suitable place.</p><p> </p><p>The latest
data for the end of 2017 (provisional) shows that 86.8% of 16-18-year-old females
are in Education and Training, compared to 85.1% of males. Source is the ‘Participation
in education, training and employment: 2017’ published statistics.</p><p> </p><p>In
January to March 2019 the number of young people aged 16-24 who were not in education,
employment or training (NEET) in the UK was at a near record low (764,000) – down
364,000 since 2010. As part of this the number of women aged 16-24 who were NEET was
at a near record low (383,000) – down 238,000 since 2010. The number of men aged 16-24
who were NEET was also near a record low – at 381,000 – down 126,000 since 2010.</p><p>
</p><p>The latest figures from the independent ONS, show that in February-April 2019
UK employment rate is at a joint record high of 76.1% - and as part of this the female
employment rate is at a record high (72.0%). The male employment rate was 80.3% -
up 5.3% points since 2010.</p>

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps the Government is
taking to ensure that European Social Fund projects for training young people from
disadvantaged groups and communities continue after the UK leaves the EU.

<p>The Chancellor’s statement of October 2016 provided considerable clarity and certainty
for the European Social Fund programme and confirmed that the Government will guarantee
EU funding for projects signed before the UK’s departure from the EU, even when these
projects continue after we have left the EU.</p><p> </p><p>The full detail of the
announcement can be found at the following website link:</p><p><a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/news/chancellor-philip-hammond-guarantees-eu-funding-beyond-date-uk-leaves-the-eu"
target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/news/chancellor-philip-hammond-guarantees-eu-funding-beyond-date-uk-leaves-the-eu</a></p><p>
</p><p>In the longer term the Government is currently considering the future of all
programmes that are currently EU funded. Leaving the EU means we will make our own
decisions about how to deliver the policy objectives previously targeted by EU funding.
During these considerations the Government will explore options for training young
people from disadvantaged groups and communities after the UK leaves the EU.</p>

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what steps he has taken to ensure
that the right support is offered to young disabled people who are seeking independence
through work or volunteering.

<p>This Government is committed to enabling young disabled people to fulfil their
potential and achieve their aspirations. We provide a wide suite of programmes and
initiatives to support them, including:</p><p> </p><ul><li>Jobcentre support for schools,
which targets young people that schools identify as being at risk of becoming NEET
(not in employment, education or training), or who may otherwise be disadvantaged
in the labour market – for example those with a health or disability issue.</li><li>The
Young Person’s Supported Work Experience programme, which will offer a personally
tailored supported work experience opportunity to enable young people (aged 18 – 24)
to benefit fully from time in the work place. This proof of concept is being tested
in five districts.</li><li>The Local Supported Employment (LSE) proof of concept ‘place
and train’ model, which aims to move disabled people into real jobs, at the going
rate of pay, with support for both the individual and employer.</li><li>Supported
Internships, which, all qualified post-16 education providers in England have been
able to deliver Since September 2013. These are personalised study programmes, based
primarily at a prospective employer, for young people with complex learning difficulties
and/or disabilities.</li><li>Access to Work, which already offers support to disabled
people undertaking a number of opportunities that help them to prepare for paid employment,
including work experience, apprenticeships, supported internships and traineeships.</li></ul><p>DWP
also recognises the value of voluntary work in developing skills which can be transferred
into the world of paid work, as well as benefitting local communities and wider society.</p><ul><li>Disabled
young people who are claiming Universal Credit can have their weekly work search hours
reduced by up to 50 per cent to accommodate voluntary work.</li><li>Those who are
receiving Employment and Support Allowance can try out work when this has been agreed
beforehand with their work coach, without their benefit being affected. Restrictions
on this Permitted Work were relaxed in April 2017 so that any ESA claimant can do
this work within certain limits.</li></ul>

To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether there is any provision for people claiming
Personal Independence Payments who have difficulty in completing questions by hand
to be able to complete the forms electronically; and if not, whether they plan to
introduce such a facility.

<p>We are developing a digital service for claiming Personal Independence Payment
(PIP) which brings the current PIP telephony claim and paper form together.</p><p>We
have tested a number of different design approaches with users and, based on feedback,
are developing an application process that is more tailored to individual needs. From
April 2016 we started making the online PIP claim available to a small number of PIP
claimants on a voluntary basis. This will allow us to get direct feedback, make ongoing
improvements and ensure this new service is effective and secure before it is available
nationally.</p>

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment his Department
has made of the effect of the Welfare Reform and Work Act 2016 on access to housing
for post-release young offenders.

<p>The Government set out its assessment of the impacts of the welfare policies in
the Welfare Reform and Work Act on 20<sup>th</sup> July 2015. It set out its assessment
of the impacts of the social rents policies in the Act on 28<sup>th</sup> September
2015.</p><p> </p><p>A link to the impact assessments is included:</p><p> </p><p><a
href="http://services.parliament.uk/bills/2015-16/welfarereformandwork/documents.html"
target="_blank">http://services.parliament.uk/bills/2015-16/welfarereformandwork/documents.html</a></p>